Demigods
by Amzoka
Summary: Luna decides it's finally time to rebel against her sister. Time is of the essence. War breaks out across Equestria and only the bloodshed of a Demigod (Celestia, Luna, or Discord) can end it. Can they stop the madness before it all goes crumbling down? Nothing is for certain, but everypony knows the fight for power has officially begun.
1. It Has Begun

**Hey guys! I'm just gonna say, this is the only story that I've actually planned an ending for. I'm really happy with it, and I'm really excited to see what I can do with it! As always, hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

Equestria would see many a foe in it's future. Whether or not they would survive was always debatable. But so far they survived. They always survive.

Princess Luna sat on the castle balcony, her mane flowing with the wind. She gazed at the beauty of Canterlot. A small city for Equestria's capital, but well founded. Equestria was no longer as it was. She had seen it. Heard it. Felt it. For what was in her subjects' dreams was something no one in the past could ever had desired…

War.

"Luna?" her sister's voice asked. Luna stayed silent. "Sister" Celestia whispered, leaping to her side, "What's wrong?". "Oh, uh, hi Celestia". Luna mumbled quickly snapping out of her trance. "I uh, it's… don't worry, it's not important". If Celestia had an eyebrow, she would have raised one. "This is about the 'suggestions' flying around town isn't it?" Celestia guessed.

"Oh Celestia it's everywhere! The people of Equestria - my people. The vote is in two hours, and they want war, sister. _War!_" she cried. Though deep down inside her, Luna kind of agreed with her people.

"Then we can give it to them" her sister replied flatly. Luna looked at her quizzically. "You can't be serious. Many will die caught in the crossfire. I thought _you_ were the super-goody-two-hooves pony, not me!". "Yes, but just look at the streets! The arguing, anger, the hatred. And this is all because of _us_. Our subjects want their 'one true princess' to rule, and we must give them the chance to vote. The only problem with this is that their 'one true princess' could be either of us".

"And risk the deaths of the innocent? Forgive me sister, but I have chosen not to come to the meeting at all!" Luna yelled. Celestia sighed. "We have to. By the way, is there anything _else_ that's bothering you? You seem troubled over something else as well". Luna kept her head down. "No" she stated flatly. With that, she flew away. What her sister _didn't _notice, was a crystal, black as night, pinned to her necklace.

* * *

Later, many Royals and government officials came from other parts of Equestria to gather in Canterlot's court room. Twilight Sparkle, Princess Cadence, Mayor Mare, and many others attended the meeting. Celestia sat up front.

"Greetings, to all of you" Celestia began. "We are gathered here today to discuss an important issue. The ponies of Equestria want war, and it is up to us to find a solution. Any ideas?".

Everyone was pretty-much silent.

"I have an idea!"

Suddenly, the doors blasted wide open. Luna marched in. "I thought you said you weren't coming to the meeting" her sister said. Luna stood at the center of the room, ignoring her sister's words. "I know this idea seems irrational, and I know what the cost will be…" she stated. Celestia's eyes widened in realisation. _This isn't good,_ she thought. "… but if the ponies of Equestria want war," she continued, "then so be it."

In the background, Twilight Sparkle and Cadence looked worried. They stared at each other randomly, hoping that what they wanted to say would come to mind. "But Luna, think again of what the costs might be! You can't just propose war like that!" Twilight finally exclaimed. All attention was now pointed to her.

"Actually, I think I have a way" Cadence interrupted. She waited for people's attention (which really only took like 10 seconds) before continuing. "How about the first demigod to shed blood loses? That could be either me, Twilight, Celestia, Luna, or Discord. It would save lives" she proposed. "I'm sorry Cadence, but you and Twilight aren't exactly demigods" Celestia said.

"Wha- what?!" Twilight exclaimed in surprise. "You were not born alicorns, and therefore cannot reach the level of a demigod. Only Luna, Discord, and I have the potential to be considered a demigod. No offence, Princess Twilight". Twilight sighed. "None taken" she replied. There was a short silence. "So sister, do you accept my challenge?" Luna finally asked. Celestia thought for a moment. It was a truly suspenseful moment.

She finally looked at everyone in the room. "If Equestria allows it, then yes" she accepted. A look of horror was plastered on Twilight's face. To see her former mentor like this just wasn't right! It was clear to everyone in the room that Celestia was doing this to stop the rioting and disharmony in the streets, and not for her own sake. "Then let us vote" Princess Luna announced.

"Everyone who agrees with war, say 'ay'". "Ay!" Mayor Mare along with three fourths of the room exclaimed. "Those against war, say 'nay'". "Nay!" Twilight Sparkle, Cadence, and everyone else exclaimed.

"It is done" Celestia confirmed. "War". Part of the crowd cheered. In Celestia's presence, it was obviously short lived.

"Forgive me princesses, but I have just one question" Mayor Mare added in. "Go ahead, Mayor Mare" Cadence acknowledged.

"You said 'demigods'. Does this mean that Discord will have to pick a side as well?" she asked. The other government officials began to whisper. The other princesses looked to Celestia for her answer. "I believe so" she said. The doors burst open once again and a familiar draconiquus strolled in. "Greetings, Celestia. You wanted me to pick a side, I hear" he said all while teleporting random items like candies and umbrellas into his claws.

Celestia face-hoofed. "I can't believe I just summoned you to Canterlot's court room!" she complained under her breath. "Um, yes Discord" she said. The draconiquus giggled. "Forgive me _sun butt_, but I have a proposal of my own" he said in a serious tone. Celestia grumbled at his words. "Go ahead" she said, trying to remain calm. "How about this: if you shed blood first, Luna wins. If Luna sheds blood first, you win. But if both of you shed blood before I do, it's eternal chaos" he said.

"I can see how this is fair" one of the other government officials said. Luna accepted it. After a while, Celestia nodded in approval. After all, they said "demigods". Not "alicorns", and not "princesses". Demigods. With a laugh, Discord teleported away. Luna smiled at the scene.

Everything was going just as planned…

* * *

**Amzoka's Corner**

**So yeah, that's all for now this week. Sorry if it sounds kinda rushed. LOL, I know it wasn't necessary, but I really wanted Discord to be in this scene. He's just hilarious! Again, I'm really excited to see what I can do with this story. I hope you guys liked this first chapter, and I'll update when I can. **

**As always, review! Give feedback, constructive criticism and requests are also accepted, no hate/flames please!**


	2. Joining Forces

Luna slowly walked into her room, checking every corner to make sure no pony could see or hear her. "We're clear" she whispered as she closed the door. Suddenly, black smoke rose from one corner and a dark figure wearing a cloak appeared. Luna approached the figure, keeping a straight face. "What were the results of the vote?" the figure asked. "War" Luna replied reluctantly. "Ponies will start choosing their sides tomorrow at dawn".

The dark figure sighed. "Well, that's a start. Any luck with persuading ponies to join you?". "I have a feeling that many ponies have already considered it. So, how about you? Are you OK?" Luna said. "Yes, thanks. The cuts and scars don't hurt so much anymore, and I'm feeling stronger" the pony replied. Luna nodded in approval. "What of Celestia?" the pony continued. "My sister? Oh, she accepted the war offer easily. All I had to say was that I knew what the risks were" Luna replied.

"Very impressed. When do you set up your base?"

"Within the next week or so. The next few days will be spent planning out the positions of our troops and what their job will be". "Great. When the base is set, I will join you. I hope your subjects won't mind having me as a leader" the pony said. "They won't" Luna confirmed. "Don't worry, I'll help you fit in. I have every confidence you'll make a great general" she said. "Great. See you tomorrow Luna". The pony smiled, then vanished.

Luna held the black crystal on her necklace close to her. "See you tomorrow" she whispered back.

* * *

That night, Princess Celestia couldn't sleep. War? Why had she even agreed to this? In the beginning, it seemed right. _It is the will of the magic._ She had told herself. But now, things seemed different. She and her sister were freaking demigods, and they should know better! Eventually, Celestia managed to fall asleep.

The next morning, Celestia woke up at 6:00 am to raise the sun, as usual. According to the agreement, she only had to raise the sun once a day to prevent interference during battle. Little did she know that what she would see outside would give her the shock of her life. Drowsily, Celestia opened her window so she could see the sun as she was raising it.

But to her surprise, many ponies were already awake and outside! All over Equestria, ponies were trotting around town, waiting for the sunrise. Six of which were Twilight and her friends in Ponyville.

All the way in Ponyville, the mane six were gathered in the town square. "The sun should be up by now" Twilight said. "Uh, can you remind me why we're all here so early?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Hey yeah sugar cube, it's way early!" Applejack agreed. Twilight sighed. "For the sixteenth time, it's because I wanted us to decide who's side we're going to be on during this war before the crowds come!" she exclaimed.

"Come on sleepyheads! Time to wake up!" Pinkie Pie added in her usual high-pitched voice. "Applejack, please. You wake up at this time every day!" Rarity chimed in. "I hear, but _this_ is the time I wake up. Not 5:00 am" she replied drowsily. "Come on you guys! We have to decided before the sun rises!" Twilight interrupted. Then igniting her horn, she said "I'm going to strike all of you with this spell. It's supposed to give your mind clarity when making decisions. Take note that neutral is also an option".

"Fire at will" Rainbow acknowledged. Without warning, Twilight shot herself with the spell. "Celestia" she said when she recovered from the blast. Next was Applejack.

"Celestia"

"Rarity, your turn" Twilight warned. Rarity smiled, indicating she was ready to take the blast. "Luna" she said once she recovered. Her friends gasped. "Rarity! Are you sure?" Fluttershy exclaimed. "I- yes. It's Luna, I'm sure!" she confirmed. "Alright, my turn!" Rainbow taunted enthusiastically. Twilight blasted her. For a second, Rainbow's eyes spun. When they went back to normal, a look of utter confusion was plastered on her face.

"What is it sugar cube?" Applejack asked. "I… I still don't know which side to choose" she said. "I guess I'm open to both princesses" she said. Her friends looked down. "Although if my memory is correct, I swore my loyalty to Celestia. And I am more than willing to join ranks with her solar army" Rainbow added. Her friends smiled. "Ooh! Ooh! Try blasting me!" Pinkie exclaimed with her usual enthusiasm. Twilight did as she asked.

"What did you get?" Rainbow asked eagerly. Pinkie thought for a moment. "Eh, neutral" she replied lightly. "Alright Flutters, that means it's your turn" Twilight said. "What? No, no wait!" she cried. It was too late. "Oh, um, I'm with Pinkie" she said once she recovered from the blast. Twilight's horn stopped glowing. "Oh look, it's the sunrise!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

Everyone looked to the east. Slowly, but for sure, the sun began to rise. Mayor Mare was noticeably setting up a stand in the town square. She was leading the war sign-ups for Ponyville. "Quick! Before the lines get long!" Twilight exclaimed as she ran to Mayor Mare. All except for Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy sped to the stand.

"Good morning Mayor Mare!" Twilight exclaimed. The mare (no pun intended) looked up. "Oh, good morning Princess Twilght!" she greeted. "Are you joining the war?". "Er, yes, Mayor Mare. I would like to join the Solar Empire" she said. "Great! Just stamp your hoof here, and your in!" she said, pulling out a piece of paper with Celestia's cutie mark on it.

The rest of the Mane 6 did the same. The lines grew long quickly. Mayor Mare sighed. This was going to be a long day!

* * *

**Amzoka's Corner**

**Did anyone get the Star Wars reference? [crickets chirping] No? OK, I might as well tell you anyway. "It is the will of the magic" is a parody of "It is the will of the Force". I don't know if anyone's gonna get it, but it was worth a shot. So, how did you like this chapter? The identity of this mysterious shadow pony will be revealed next chapter. Ooh, I'm so excited! **

**As always, review! Give feedback, requests and constructive criticism are also accepted, no flames/hates please!**


	3. Past and Present

_Flashback…_

_Luna began to settle down for the night. Although she guarded the night, a princess still needed her sleep, right? But before she went to sleep tonight, she wanted to remember somepony._

_Somepony close to her._

_Somepony special._

_Out of her drawer, she pulled out some small paintings. Along with them were random notes her friends had written to her. Luna laid them aside and looked at one particular painting. It had a colourful background, and focused on two ponies. One, a younger version of herself. The other, a young, dark grey unicorn with a unique curved horn and a black mane. Both were smiling._

_Luna stared at the unicorn. "Sombra" she whispered under her breath. Tears began to stream down her face. "I.. I wish you were still alive!"._

_"Luna?_"

_Luna suddenly got up and looked around the room cautiously. "Who goes there?!" she threatened. "Me" a dark voice said softly. A dark figure appeared in the shadows. "And you are…". Luna paused in realisation. "No!" she cried. "You're _dead!_ This is just a vision! This can't be real!"_

_The figure stepped into the light._

_"Then maybe I can talk some sense into you"_

_Luna was speachless. Almost. "Sombra?". Her old friend chuckled quietly. "I'm here"_

_"But- but how?"_

_Sombra raised a hoof to his curved horn. "My horn" he said. "If I survive, the horn survives. And if the horn survives, so do I". There was a short pause. "And how do I know this isn't a trick?" Luna pressed. Sombra lowered his horn to the ground and grew a small black crystal from thin air. He carefully picked it up and gave it to her. "I'm the only unicorn alive who can grow these. That's how you'll know" he explained. His voice sounded somewhat weak._

_Luna looked him up and down. He had several cuts and scars on his legs, face, and probably more under his armour. "What happened to you?" she asked worriedly. Her friend sighed. "It's amazing what a millennium of banishment accompanied with the Crystal Heart can do to a stallion" he said. Luna noticed he walked with a limp. Probably because of his injuries. _

_"So, are you gonna explain all the rioting in the streets or what?" he asked. "Sure. The ponies want war, and it's up to me and my sister to stop it" she explained. "Wait. Luna, think this through" he said, "Why don't you just go through with their plans?". "What?! No!" Luna argued. "This could benefit you" Sombra reasoned. "If you win, you'll satisfy your people and yourself" he said. Luna thought for a moment. "I'll do it" she said finally._

_Suddenly, the two heard the footsteps of a guard approaching. He would reach Luna's room within seconds at that pace. "I have to go now. Keep this crystal with you" he said. "But don't say goodbye" _

_"I hate goodbyes"_

_With that, he vanished._

* * *

Present Day…

The next few days were spent setting up a base for Luna's cause and sorting out the armies. The Castle of the Two Sisters was chosen as a place to set up camp. They were going to do a few of the major repairs, then the castle would become their base. The minor repairs would be done during extra time. Everything was going quite well so far.

"How are the repairs going?" Luna asked when she came to check three days later. "Pretty good so far" a worker replied from his position on a ladder. "The pillars are almost completed, and the roof should be done soon". "Nice work" Luna complimented, "Anything I can do?". "I hate to cause you trouble, but yes. That last part of the pillar is too big for anyone to carry. It would be much easier if an Alicorn helped us" he said.

"No problem!" Luna said. She began lifting the large piece. _I can't believe I somehow smashed this thing to pieces, _Luna thought as she lifted the heavy pillar with her magic. She gave it to a group of Pegasi waiting for it. "Thanks Princess! See you tomorrow!" said the worker. Luna smiled and nodded. A lot of work needed to be done, and it needed to be done before night fell.

Unlike her sister, Luna was very organic. She hated schedules, and she took her time to do things. Despite this, she knew she had to do everything quickly. Within a few minutes Luna had already made it back to Canterlot. She had to sort out the positions her subjects were going to be in during the war. She had to know who was going to battle, who wasn't, and what they were going to do.

"Good afternoon Luna!" one of the Royal Guard greeted. Luna told them not to speak formally around her a while back. She didn't really like formal speaking. "Good afternoon. Am I late?" she said. "No. We just came kind of early" he replied. Luna smiled and nodded. "How many have joined us?" she asked. "About 1500 as of today. Thats a good count!" he said. "Indeed" Luna replied.

She sat down. "Alright, let's get to work. Who's first?" she said. "A mare named 'Rarity'. I'll let her in" the stallion said. In a few seconds, Rarity burst into the room. She was wearing a fancy dress fit for a princess. Funny, princesses didn't normally wear dresses.

"Greetings, fair Rarity" Luna greeted. "I trust your ride here was smooth?". "Oh it was simply divine!" Rarity exclaimed. "Awesome. I hear you're a fashionista" she continued. "Yes. I make practically anything, though I specialise in dresses" Rarity replied. "OK. Uh, would you like to be an armour designer?" Luna asked. "Oh yes of course! I can't _make_ the armour, but I'm very good with design. Just give me the requirements, and I'll do it" she said. "Alright, I guess you're our official armour designer!" Luna proclaimed. "It was nice talking with you, Rarity. I'll see you around".

Most of the other interviews turned out this way, and many ponies got decent jobs. Some characters like Maud Pie, Trixie, and even Gilda managed to get into the elite troops. Many ponies were excited to sit face-to-face with the Princess of The Night.

* * *

That sunset, Luna collapsed on her bed. She was exhausted! After a few minutes, Luna started hearing things.

"Luna. I have news" the voice said.

"What is it?" she asked, her eyes still closed. Luna knew for sure it was Sombra. There was a short silence, but he continued. "Twilight Sparkle and her friends are separated. No side can use the Elements of Harmony" he said. "I know" Luna replied. "Not just that. I negotiated with the umbrum. They said they'd rather not risk their lives in battle, but they agreed to give us power boosts during battle" he continued. This got Luna's attention. There was a short silence. "Great. See you at the Castle of the Two Sisters" she said finally.

Luna felt Sombra's magic presence fade away.

_See you at the Castle, Sombra,_ were her last thoughts before drifting off into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Amzoka's Corner**

**Sombra is the shadow pony! So excited! Just to be clear, he will appear very often throughout the rest of the story.**


	4. Fear of the Shadow

**Hi people, Amzoka is back with another chapter! I hope you enjoy this new chapter, and I'll see you again at the bottom of the page!**

**Warning: This chapter contains SPOILERS to a FIENDship is Magic comic that was released last month. If you hate spoilers, please read the comic first. Thanks. **

* * *

Within the next two weeks, the repairs for the Castle of the Two Sisters were completed and the place became a fortress for Luna's cause. Canterlot was chosen as Celestia's base during that time as well. As promised, Sombra would be introduced to Equestria. Easier said than done.

First, to prevent anyone from freaking out, they had to make sure the first ponies to find out were _not_ Crystal Ponies. If they were, things could go very badly. Second, Sombra couldn't use any dark magic whatsoever. Luna had to cast a very advanced magic-supressing spell that literally prevented him from using _all _magic. Third, he couldn't speak in his evil monotone. Conveniently enough, Equestria's military had some voice changers. Why they had them was beyond her.

And last, they had to cover up the scars from his last encounter with the Crystal Heart. The scars would fade soon, but not soon enough. Because of this, he had to wear dark grey makeup to cover up the scars. Luna couldn't ask anyone to help her apply it, 'cause that would ruin the whole point.

"Let us never speak this again" he said, once he stepped out of Luna's quarters. Luna sighed. "Agreed". That's when she saw something weird about his eyes. When he turned to face her, his eyes were aqua instead of red! At first Luna was completely weirded out. "Are you wearing… contact lenses?" she exclaimed. "I'm a good stallion now. Might as well look like one" he said. Luna face-hoofed. How could this day get any weirder?

* * *

Soon, they reached an area where there were about ten Royal Guard. "OK, whatever you do, don't make any fast movements, and don't say anything that could freak them out" Luna whispered. They were hiding in the shadows, waiting for the best time to approach. "Can you turn yourself into shadow?" she said after a few minutes. "No. You took my magic, remember?".

After a few more minutes had passed, Luna built up the courage to approach them. "Stay in the shadows. I'll talk to them" she told him. Sombra did as she said. "Greetings, sirs. You two come with me" she said, pointing a hoof at two stallions, "The rest of you, stand guard. I want you to meet somepony". The two stallions shared a confused expression, but did as she asked anyway.

Luna stopped at a corner with light, but was still very close to the shadows. "What you are about to see isn't something you see every day, but please I beg of you, do not shout for help" Luna said. The guards nodded. The dark blue mare stepped to the side, allowing Sombra to come forward into the light. The guards looked at each other from the corner of their eyes, petrified at what they saw.

"So, you are part of the Royal Guard?" Sombra asked. They nodded. "Uh, greetings. I have.. come to make peace?". They shook hooves. "See? That wasn't so bad! Please spread the word that Sombra is with us now, but not to the crystal ponies. Understood?" Luna said. "Yes Princess!" they saluted.

* * *

Every hour of the day was full of craziness as word of Sombra's reformation was spread all over the castle and beyond. Ponies were careful not to talk about it in front of the crystal ponies, given their history with Sombra, but everypony knew it had to be done eventually.

"I can't do this Luna!"

"Relax, you were the king of shadows!"

Sombra took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows. The five crystal ponies, who just happened to be hanging out there, gasped in horror. Luna stepped out of the shadows as well. "Greetings, fine villagers. I trust you know Sombra?" she said. They nodded vigorously in fear. Sombra took another step forward without fear. "I... Uh... Hello" he said, holding out a hoof.

Instead of cowering in fear, like most ponies did when they saw Luna once she was reformed, they just stared at him curiously. _Wow, Nightmare Moon must have been bad! _she thought. Sombra heard her thoughts through their psychic connection, staring at ground and trying to look less menacing. All but one of the crystal ponies seemed to be fine with his presence. The youngest, a mare, had an angry look on her face. Sombra noticed her, but tried to ignore it. _She'll get over it, _he thought.

Sombra's face from then on had no emotion. Everywhere he went, he kept seeing the face of that mare. She looked strangely familiar to him. Like a long-lost family member. Like a shadow of a friend. Not that he had any friends or a real family. Was she one of the more important imperial slaves? No. Too long ago. Did she meet him before? He didn't know. Childhood friends? No. Again, too long ago. Regular ponies don't live over a thousand years.

Around the corner, he saw her mane again. It was blue and glittered with a crystal texture. But when he blinked, she was gone. Then again, when he looked at Luna, the mare stood behind her.

The mare continued to haunt him for the next few hours. He was actually starting to get scared! Suddenly she appeared before him.

"Hello, _Sombra_" she sneered. "Alright, I give up! I keep seeing you everywhere, and then the next second you disappear, so will you please just tell me what the hay is going on?!" he spat angrily. The mare brushed her mane aside, revealing the other part of her face. "I am a descendant of Radiant Hope" she claimed. "The story of your betrayal has been passed down my family. Generation to generation. I know what you did, and I cannot forgive that".

"Radiant Hope" he repeated.

There was short pause.

"Hope? The filly I befriended when I was just a foal?" he asked finally. The young mare nodded. "Yes". Sombra thought for a moment. "So what do you want from me?" he said. The mare looked away. "Nothing, but judging by the way you've been acting all day, I'm actually starting to believe your legacy isn't true" she stated. Sombra sighed. "The legend is true. I have changed though, and I'm doing what I can to make things right" he replied.

The mare bowed. "And so we have made peace" she said. With that, she walked away and disappeared around the corner. _I still don't trust her, _Sombra thought. _But maybe I will. Some day. She is related to Hope. _He saw the other ponies staring at him.

_Yeah... I don't think I have a choice._

* * *

**Amzoka's Corner**

**So, yeah. I didn't really want to do this chapter, but I guess it had to be done because cryptic promise in chapter 2 and what not. Also, I'm thinking of creating an OC that is somehow related to Sombra. Not through family, but by race. For those of you who don't know, Sombra is an "umbrum". Umbrums are shadow ponies who seek to take over the Crystal Empire. And yes, what I said about Sombra's species is canon. I would also like to give a special thanks to my friend, 21peach, for reading the story even if she's not a pegasister. Thanks, 21peach! **

**As always, review! Give feedback, constructive criticism is tolerated, but no flames please!**


	5. On The Eve of Battle

**Hi guys, I am back with another chapter of Demigods! This one was quite fun to write. Definitely more fun than last chapter. Although, just like last chapter, there are a few spoilers. **

**Warning: This chapter contains spoilers to the recently published comic book _FIENDship is Magic Issue #1. _**

* * *

Late at night, Twilight Sparkle wormed her way in and out of the library. Despite all her friends' attempts to stop her, she came every night to read the ancient writings of Equestria's past. No matter how Twilight got in, it always got Luna's attention and somepony was asked to watch her each night. The plan was simple: she reads quietly, she's fine. But if she starts trying things like figuring out their battle strategies, the pony watching her can do what he/she wants with her.

Two nights after the castle was finished being repaired, Twilight heard a _swoosh! _in the darkness of the library. Thinking it was probably just a small animal (like a bunny or a squirrel), she just ignored it. _Swoosh!_ There it was again! Now the sound of hooves were heard, as if somepony were tapping their hooves anxiously. Twilight put down her book and looked around with caution.

"Who's there?"

"Me" a dark voice said. And there he was, Sombra in all his glory. He was no longer wearing the aqua contact lenses. They didn't really fit his personality. "I was told to watch you" he said. "They know I'm here?" Twilight asked in utter fear and shock. "They always have. Sit down" he said in a slightly menacing voice. Twilight did as he asked. "I would like to clarify a few things, starting with my species" he explained. "I am not a unicorn. I am an umbrum, a shadow pony". Twilight nodded in acknowledgement, too scared to do anything else.

"Next, have Celestia or Luna told you anything about my past? Anything?"

"Celestia gave me a quick recap of your tyrannical rule of the Crystal Empire. However, Luna only tells me that she'd rather not talk about it" Twilight replied.

Sombra sighed. "Well, that explains a lot. I guess I might as well tell you the truth" he said. Twilight made herself comfortable, knowing this was going to be one of those backstory explanations that she was so tired of. This one, however, seemed to get her attention. "There was an ancient umbrum prophecy. It stated that an umbrum living among the Crystal Ponies would rise up, kill Princess Amore, and take the Crystal Empire for the Umbrums" he said.

"My mother had my dark magic taken from me at birth. It was clear she knew I was chosen for the prophecy from the start. She sent me to the Frozen North, just outside the Crystal Empire. _Cadence_ is the new ruler of the empire, isn't she?". "Focus, Sombra!" Twilight pressed. He rolled his eyes, but continued anyway. "Growing up in an empire full of love, I always wanted to attend the Crystal Faire. It was the biggest and most popular celebration in that area. That wasn't my case" he continued.

"Every year during the Crystal Faire, I would suffer sever pain. One year, just a few days after the faire, I ran away. I discovered my mother, the prophecy, and I got my dark magic back. I did what I was born to do. The rest you know" he finished. "So, it wasn't a selfish act that turned you into a tyrant. It was a prophecy. Your destiny" Twilight concluded. He nodded. "But now that my _written_ destiny has been fulfilled, I can do what I want with the rest of my life" Sombra added. Recalling the horrible memories was nothing to him. He was, after all, familiar with suffering since he was a foal.

"Why are you telling me this?" Twilight finally asked. "Because your destiny, like mine, has also been written. Although unlike me, the details are yours to fill in" he told her. "Say nothing of what you heard tonight. Take the book you were reading home if you wish, but you must leave now. You're the only one I can trust with this information. If you keep my secret, and Understand?". Twilight nodded and placed the book she was reading earlier in her sling bag. "I will" she confirmed.

"Great. See you on the battlefield" he said. With that, he vanished.

* * *

Around the same time, Luna had gathered with to discuss the battle that would take place the next day. According to their spies, her sister's army would be marching into the Everfree Forest at late morning. That would get them there by high noon. This gave Luna the advantage of time. Sombra was allowed to come late, given the fact that Luna asked him to watch Twilight in the library. A large map was spread onto the table.

"Let us begin with the ground troops. This is the closest and safest opening my sister's army has into the Everfree Forest" Luna began, placing a small paper flag on the edge of the forest on the map. "As several of you have suggested, there's a lot of plantation in this area. We can hide several squads of troops here, while the main forces wait here". She placed another flag marking the position of the main forces.

At that moment, the doors opened and Sombra walked in. "Sorry I'm late. What did I miss?" he said. "You're right on time. I was just about to explain where the umbrum army comes in" Luna replied cooly. Then turning back to the map, "did you tell them where to hide?" she asked. Her friend nodded. "Good. They will be stationed all around the path to the Castle of the Two Sisters. They will serve as reinforcements if need be. Are there any questions that have to do with the ground troops?" Luna said.

Everyone stayed silent.

"Good. Now on to the weather troops" Luna continued. "Gilda, have your Griffons and Pegasi gathered their storm clouds and gone over the plan?". "Yes, Princess Luna. Princess Celestia's troops won't know what hit them!" she replied cheerfully. Luna nodded in approval. "Good. When I give the signal, the weather team will come forward with the storm clouds. Strike down as many air troops as you can".

"And what of the elite troops?"

"Good question. Each of the four elite troops, Gilda, Maud, Trixie, and Rarity, will be assigned to specific locations to defend" Luna explained. Then pointing to the map again, "Enemy troops will be coming in from the east. Rarity, you will take the north side of the battlefield. There are lots of gems in that area". Rarity nodded in thanks. "Gems and crystals do make excellent weapons" she commented. Sombra smiled at that.

"Trixie, you will take the south. Gilda will defend from the sky. Not much needs to be said there. Maud Pie will take the west, the closest position to the castle". Luna continued. Then on a more serious note, added, "She is our last line in defence. If anypony gets past her line of fire, the war is already lost. Is that understood?". Everypony nodded. "Good. All of you, get some rest. Be ready by late morning tomorrow. Tonight is a special evening…"

"The eve of battle"

* * *

**Amzoka's Corner**

**Before anyone complains about Gilda's attitude, this is kind of her new personality. Sorry if I spoiled season 5 episode 8 for you. And yes, the quick recap of Sombra's backstory is cannon in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Sorry if I spoiled that too. *sigh*, I should write less ****spoilery fanfic chapters. I can see the angry bronies already. With all craziness aside, next chapter is battle day! Yay! **

**As always, review! Give feedback, constructive criticism is tolerated, no hates/flames please!**


	6. Blood and Honour

**Finally, the chapter where all of this makes sense. The chapter that you have all been waiting for. I must say, this was really fun to write. It's going to be a really long chapter too. See you at the bottom of the page!**

* * *

Finally, the first day of battle had come. This moment was long awaited by the ponies of Equestria. The first few hours of the day were spent on last-minute preparations. Luna got right to it.

"Show time" she whispered in a badass tone. She started by cutting her mane and tail. In almost every battle, somepony was grabbed by their mane or tail and thrown across the battlefield. Soon, her mane was just over shoulder length. Her tail was cut in half. Finally, she suited up for battle. Rarity's designs were amazing! It protected her, and still didn't hinder any movement. In addition, Luna carried a sword and twin knives for backup. Each had a silver blade with a tip tinted blue. Not that she need them. "Aw yeah" she said, slipping on her helmet.

The door opened. "Hey are you - whoa" Sombra said in awe. "Yeah I know, I look stupid" Luna joked. "What? No! No, you look - !". Luna cut him off mid-sentence. "_Relax_. I'm just being weird. You ready?" she said. "I'm ready. When did _you_ learn how to speak like the locals?" Sombra replied in a somewhat humorous tone. "They taught me. It took some time, but we made it work. So, Sombra. Ready to go to war?".

"Ready" he acknowledged. Luna nodded toward the door, indicating they were going to the field.

* * *

Meanwhile in Canterlot, Celestia and her troops were fixing their positions. Twilight was looking for her brother. He was assigned general, a proud position for a pony of his age. "Shining? Shining?!" she shouted through the crowd. Her brother, Shining Armour, turned around. "Twily!".

The two shared a hug. They hadn't seen each other since Twilight's coronation. "I'm glad you came! Your friends have very interesting parts to play in all of this" Shining said. "My… My friends? What do you mean?" his sister asked, obviously oblivious to the situation. "Twilight, your friends are war leaders! Applejack is my second command. Rainbow Dash is going to fight alongside the Wonderbolts!".

Twilight's jaw dropped. Why her friends of all ponies? Why were they chosen? "What's my position?" she growled. "Oh, you're with the magic team. I hope you don't mind. You are an alicorn after all" her brother replied. Suddenly her eyes lit up. "The magic team? Oh my gosh, thankyou!" she hugged him. "Well I better go. See you on the battle field!" she said. "See you, Twily!" Shining Armour called back. He then turned to the Royal Guard. "Is Princess Celestia protected?" he asked. The guard nodded. "Good. Make past-minute preparations".

"We leave for the Everfree Forest!"

* * *

On the field of battle, thousands of equestrian troops stood ready for battle. All were wearing silver and blue armor. Rarity was especially confident that day. After all, she kicked a manticore in the face when Nightmare Moon tried to take over Equestria.

"Is an attack still imminent?" Luna asked. "I am afraid so. Our scouts say they should be here any moment" one of the guard replied grimly. Gilda, Rarity, Trixie, and Maud Pie approached them. "Ah, the elite troops" Luna greeted, "I trust you are ready for battle?". She was trying her best to sound formal. Rarity was the first to speak. "Yes, Princess. I went searching for gems yesterday afternoon. As you can see, I found a lot" she said, glancing at the large satchel bags strapped to her body.

"I also decided to be proactive" Trixie chimed in, "I studied the spell book you gave me. Thanks for that. These spells will really come in handy during the battles ahead. They might even be strong enough to match Twilight!". "Worked on my flight skill" Gilda added flatly. Now all four glanced at Maud. There was an awkward silence. "I prepared something" she said after a while in a cryptic voice. Princess Luna and the other three knew exactly what that meant immediately. They smiled and nodded suspiciously.

In the distance, drums were heard. Everyone looked toward the path, knowing who it was. "The drums of war" Gilda murmured. A gold glimmer in the distance was seen. "You sure you're up for this?" one of the guard asked. "I am" Luna replied cooly. "My sister may be more powerful with offensive magic, but she can't really take a hit before going down. And unlike her, I can serve in the front lines".

"So where is she?"

"Probably at the back. Think of how many times she's been defeated. It helps. I myself have defeated her before. Almost"

The shimmer in the distance was shown again. Brighter this time. "Here they come!" another guard yelled from up front. Everypony got their weapons ready. Without a sound, spears rained from the sky. Arrows and sharp rocks struck Luna's troops down one by one. Applejack and Shining Armour were the first to appear, a massive army of ponies wearing orange and gold behind them. Luna's troops took this as a signal to charge forward, letting out a battle cry as they fought.

Only about a third of each army was made of the Royal Guard. Most of the troops were civilians. Luna fought courageously with her sword. A brave stallion came after Princess Luna with a knife. She blocked it with her bare hooves. The stallion stared up at her wide eyed. She knocked the knife from his hooves. "Gods don't bleed" she chuckled. With that, she hoofed him in the face so hard that he flew across the battlefield. "That should give Celestia something to think about" Rarity commented.

She was right. Within the next few seconds, they heard a loud sound coming from the air. With a loud _BOOM! _Celestia landed before them. "Luna! I don't want to fight you! You must call this off!" she demanded. Her eyes turned completely white with magic. Luna looked at Rarity, and then back at her sister. Her eyes turned white as well.

"Challenge accepted"

Within seconds, the two were engaged in battle. Blue and gold sparked across the sky as the battle raged on. Luna was strong, but Celestia was quick. A few ponies paused mid-battle just to watch them fight. Nopony, not even Sombra, had seen such power. They started small, simply shooting lasers at each other. Soon, cripplingly powerful spells were being thrown around. Even a single hit could bring an alicorn to their knees.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Sombra felt a familiar presence behind him. He spun around instinctively, cringing for a second. Luckily, no pony saw him. A young purple alicorn mare stood behind him. She was wearing gold armour with Celestia's cutie mark carved into the chest plate. It was Twilight!

"I thought we had a _deal_ Princess Twilight Sparkle" he snarled in a frustrated tone. "Never said I won't hurt you" she countered. "You may have understood friendship once, but never again. Friendship is magic, Sombra! You just don't see it!". With that, Twilight took her stand. Swiftly teleporting to exact locations, she managed to score a few hits on Sombra's armour (which didn't even leave a scratch) before he teleported the sword out of her magic aura.

"Do not underestimate dark magic" he growled in his evil monotone. In a fit of rage, Twilight recklessly tried to hoof him in the face. Sombra blocked it easily. "Your rage has unbalanced you! That is not your way, is it?" he mocked. Twilight's eyes suddenly turned white and began to glow just like Celestia and Luna. "QUIET!" she screamed. The umbrum dodged the powerful laser beams she shot at him with ease.

Sombra's eyes filled with dark magic. His scythe ready to strike any moment. "I remember the Crystal Faire" he began. Twilight, realising what was going on, tried to back away behind some rocks. "The tears!". He slammed one of the large rocks aside. "The horror!". He slammed two more away. He was getting dangerously close to Twilight now. "And all that endless suffering! For what?!".

Sombra was now standing right in front of the young alicorn. Before anyone knew what was about to happen, Sombra grabbed her with his magic and held her in midair. "All of that is about the change!" he exclaimed. With those words finally said, Sombra took the strike. There was a moment of weakness. Silence.

Twilight just stared at him. Several ponies gasped. "You… Your horn!" Somepony stuttered. Twilight made a few choking sounds as her unicorn horn, severed almost completely from her head, fell to the ground. Blood dripped from it. "Alicorn blood!" another pony yelled. Most ponies just ignored him, knowing it wouldn't make much difference in the war. After all, she was not a demigod.

The shadow pony released his grip on Twilight, allowing her to fall to the ground. Her vision grew fuzzy. "Face it Princess Twilight. Friendship is _not _magic. I should know" he said. Twilight weakly lifted a hoof. "Look… Behind you!" she whispered.

Sombra turned around, realising his leg was stabbed, broken, and smoking. Twilight pointed a hoof at her sword. "Made from the crystals used to forge the Crystal Heart. The only thing that can kill you. By all means Sombra, we're even" she laughed. With that, she was knocked unconscious. He glared at her angrily, though he knew he couldn't do anything now. Luna would never forgive him for ending an innocent life. Of all the alicorns, Twilight was the first to bleed. But still, there was a strange feeling. The feeling that something was about to happen.

Suddenly, a blue and gold staff struck from the heavens. Sombra ducked out of the way and ran before it could hit him. A pony was apparently holding it. It was Cadence! Luckily, Sombra didn't see her.

"C-Cadence?" Twilight stuttered.

The mare folded her wings and walked in an aware stance. She was wearing gold coloured armour similar to that of a Royal Guard. "The Crystal Empire and it's armies are with you" she said. Then turning to her troops, "Attack!" she yelled. A thousand crystal ponies charged forward, weapons at the ready.

"Hey Sombra, I think we could use those reinforcements right about now!" Trixie yelled over the chaos. Sombra turned himself into shadow and disappeared. He was back in about thirty seconds. "Help is on the way" he said.

Shadowy figures began spawning all over the battlefield. Their basic form was similar to Sombra, although each one had a unique mane style and colour. Blacks, grey-faded reds and violets were common. A particularly young umbrum spawned next to him. "Hey Sombra, what's the situation?" she asked. She looked like him, except she was younger and had bright red streaks in her mane. "Li, you can't be here! Mother told you specifically-" Sombra complained, only to be cut off. "I _can_ fight, and don't call me that! My name is Kali! Now, what's the situation?" she exclaimed.

Sombra put a hoof over his face. "We'll discuss this later. Just have your group of umbrums take down the Princess Celestia's troops. They're the ones with the orange and yellow armour. Create as many fake clones of me and stereotypically scary optical illusions as you can. We'll regroup at the castle when the battle is over" he ordered. "Alright. So brother, ready to go to war?" the younger one said. Sombra smiled and nodded as she began.

"So, that's your little sister? She seems nice" Rarity complimented. "I suppose," Sombra sighed. His eyes widened as Kali tackled the enemy troop behind him to the ground. "Fights like a demon too. Good to know. We'll talk again later" said Rarity. With that she dashed off.

Soon, she found herself in a problem of her own. All around her, troops stood aiming their weapons at her. Two of Luna's Royal guard who had been beside her went down together. Rarity was backed into the middle of a circle, spears ready to strike. Then she saw it. Because finding gems was her special talent, she could see all gems, no matter how deep underground they were. And right under her opponents' hooves, was a massive amount of them.

Summoning all of her magic, Rarity unearthed the gems. They shot into the air. Her attackers screamed. The attack had left them cut and wounded. The young mare felt regret, but knew it had to be done.

The battle was fierce, and a few troops did make it all the way to Maud Pie at this point, only to be struck down by her stone defence. Maud had collected small stones for the battle and thrown them so hard at the enemy that they exploded on impact. "Hey Maud, can you perform your signature move? There's a horde of Celestia's troops right here!" Trixie exclaimed. A hint of a smile was on Maud's face as she picked up one of her stones. With that, she took aim and threw the rock as hard as she could. The rock created a huge explosion of dust, blinding the enemy. "_That's_ what I prepared" she smirked.

Meanwhile, Celestia and Luna were having a battle of their own. Strike after strike, every round ended with a draw. They were far from their armies by now, but still within view. Celestia shot a powerful laser beam at Luna, who put up a force field to absorb the blast. The night princess then charged at her sister at full speed, knocking her to the ground. But before Luna could strike again, Celestia was on her feet and swiftly dodging the lasers her sister was shooting at her. She was good with her wings. Very fast and precise, even compared to Rainbow Dash.

Celestia swooped under Luna and scored a hit on her leg, which didn't knock her back very far.

With a powerful laser beam, she managed to strike her sister in the face. Temporarily blinded, Luna fell, crashing wings first into ground. The shot was so strong, Luna's troops could see it from their position on the field.

"Luna's down! I'll take this batch of troops. You two, go help the Princess!" Sombra shouted from his position on the battlefield. "Sir, yes sir!" two of the guards exclaimed.

Luna's vision began to blur. Her head pounded. It was like a darkness was swallowing her. All she could see was her sister closing in on her. Fast. With the last of her strength, Luna tried to pull herself away. It was no use. Something was wrong. Deep inside, something broken. The agony was overwhelming. Just as the final blow was about to be delivered, streaks of violet shot across the sky. Luna saw her sister fly away as the violet light chased her back to the armies. She felt herself being levitated by magic.

"You're going to be OK", was the last thing she heard before blacking out.

* * *

**Amzoka's Corner**

**Well, that was intense! Summer Break began a few days ago, and how I have the ****freedom of doing FanFiction! Yay! If anyone has trouble picturing Luna with her new mane cut, you can search "princess luna with short hair" on google images and some really good pics should show up. Also, you guys are free to make suggestions for what you want to see happen. Just know that not everything will be added into the plot. **

**As always, review! Give feedback, constructive criticism fine, but no hating please!**


	7. Aftershock

**Hello Bronies and Pegasisters! First, I would like to give credit to a one-hit-wonder group called _Industry._ Their song _State of The Nation_ inspired part of this chapter. See you at the bottom of the page!**

* * *

"What's going on?"

"I don't know. He's been there for hours"

"And how is she?"

"The Princess? She'll be fine, but _he_ is _desperate_. I've seen reformed villains, but none like this".

Luna lay unconscious on a bed in the medical bay. Several hours had passed since the battle. Sombra sat next to her bed with his eyes closed. Many others were in the med bay with them. Most, like Luna, were injured and unconscious. Two guards were positioned on either side of the door. They were whispering about the current and recent events. All light was natural instead of electronic to prevent the room from being too bright for the recovering ponies.

Finally, Luna's head began to move. She stirred for a moment, then her eyes opened. "Unnghh…" she groaned. She felt as if her back was on fire. Sombra's eyes quickly opened and he rushed to her side. "Easy kid, you've been through a lot" he said. Luna saw him, and lay down again. She looked at her wing, which she knew was broken. "What did I _do_ to myself?" was the only thing she could think of saying.

"When Celestia struck you down, I'm assuming you fell backwards, given your injuries. Your left wing is broken in five places. How are you feeling?" Sombra explained. "Yeah, I figured. I'm fine, but my wing is pretty-much useless now" she said. Then she looked at her friend. His leg was bandaged and in some kind of brace. She then sat up. "Are you alright?" she asked. "I'm fine. I got medical attention a few hours ago. You, on the other hoof, should get your wing fixed. The medical staff refused to move you".

Luna managed to sit up, cringing while she struggled to support her weight. "Who won?". "We did, as of now" Sombra replied.

"And what are our losses?"

"About a hundred troops. I already sent some scouts to find their bodies"

Luna stood up slowly. "Alright, I might as well head to Zecora's for treatment. She agreed to be a neutral medic just a few days ago. You get some rest" Luna replied. "I will. Thanks Luna. I'll see you back here" Sombra said.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Ponyville, the neutral civilians were having a similar discussion.

"I saw them march off to war. They looked so heroic" Mrs. Cake stated, referring to Celestia's troops marching off to the forest. "So did I. I was told that they won't be gone for long. It's a lie and they know it!" Cheerilee agreed. Octavia, who had just come into Ponyville with Vinyl Scratch to escape Celestia's supporters, sighed. "It's hard to imagine. Ten thousand, gone and won't return. Never to be seen again" she said.

"Oh! My friends! I hope they're OK!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "Fluttershy, relax! As long as the war doesn't come here, we're all OK" Cheerilee tried to reassure her. The yellow pegasus sank back into her chair.

Octavia sighed again. "None of this makes any sense. Strategic games is all we learn in the end" she said. "Don't worry! We can just call them on the phone!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "Call them on the phone? Pinkie, they're out there fighting for the state of the nation! Who knows how long it'll be before we talk to our friends again?!" Bon Bon screamed angrily. "Look you guys, we're not going anywhere if this is our argument. Now, how about we come up with some ideas?" Vinyl Scratch proposed.

"Ideas? Ideas for what?"

"I have an idea" Fluttershy said. "How about we create a peacekeeping group? I had this idea for something called the Peace Core. We can travel to other neutral parts of Equestria and maybe try to keep the peace there!". "Count me in" Mrs. Cake agreed. "I'm in" Cheerilee added. Pinkie Pie smiled, indicating that she was in. Vinyl and Octavia shared a look. "Not this time" Vinyl stated. There was a short silence.

"Eh.. what?"

"This war has nothing to do with us, and we don't want to be any more involved with it. I still support your idea, however" Octavia stated.

Now it was Pinkie's turn to share a look with Fluttershy.

"YES!"

* * *

_Sombra stood on an empty land. Flames surrounded him. "Where am I?". His voice echoed through the empty space. In a flash of light, his mother appeared in her crystal form. "Hello, Sombra. You have come at last" she said. "Mother? What is this place? Why are we here?" was all he could think of saying. His mother laughed. "Oh, my son. To fulfil the prophecy __of course!"_

_Suddenly, flames surrounded him. He began to choke from all the smoke. He tried to turn to shadow, but his magic was somehow disabled. He could feel the pain. The pain he hadn't felt since he was a young colt. The magic of the Crystal Heart._

_His mother turned transformed into an umbrum and grabbed him by the neck. "What you have concealed, you shall become!" she declared. Suddenly, dark magic exploded from Sombra's eyes. He screamed in agony. His clothes ripped to pieces from the sheer power. He saw day and night pass in seconds behind his mother's face. Then it stopped._

_They were now standing on a high place. He saw Equestria, but not as it had been. Canterlot was aflame. Ponyville, Manehattan, Appaloosa - really any village and city you can think of was left in ruins. Ponies marched in chains. Slaves. All of them. Luna stood at the bottom of the high place. Her face was full of scars and wounds. She cursed Sombra's name._

_"No…" he whispered, backing away. "No mother! The prophecy has already been fulfilled! Amore is dead! This is just a vision! This can't be real!". She put a hoof on his shoulder. "My son, this _is _the future. The future you are destined to create" she stated._

_"NO!"_

* * *

"AAH!"

Sombra woke up screaming for the third time that night. Sweat dripped down his face. Nightmares. Not a big deal… at least a month ago it wasn't. He used to thrive on fear. But now… things were changing. Being a hero was harder than he thought. All he needed to remember was that the prophecy was fulfilled, nopony was enslaved or killed, and he is save in the castle. He took a deep breath, taking in the peacefulness of the night and leaving the nightmare behind him.

The door opened and Luna stepped into the room rubbing her eyes. She was wearing a dark grey cloak, probably from the cold. "You know Sombra, no one's going to get enough sleep if you're screaming all night" she stated simply. She sat down on one of the two chairs in the room.

"When did you get back from Zecora's?"

"A few hours ago. Now, are you OK?" Luna replied calmly. Sombra took in another deep breath. "To be honest, not really. I'm having.. nightmares. Visions perhaps. I don't know for sure" he said. "Oh? What are they about?" Luna pressed.

"I'd rather not say"

Luna got up and sat on the edge of his bed. "You know, you can't get rid of the nightmares until you get rid of the fear" she said calmly. The dark coloured stallion turned his head away. She let the silence go one for a few more minutes. "Tell me Sombra, what are you so afraid of?" Luna finally decided to ask. Her friend sighed. "I'm afraid of the past" he confessed. "Afraid of what I am. _Who_ I am, and who I will be".

"Is this about the prophecy?"

Sombra nodded.

Luna thought for a moment. "Hey, you remember this crystal you gave me, right?" she said, showing him the dark crystal pinned to her necklace from all those weeks ago. "Of course" he said. "OK then. Look at it now. It's dark. Threatening. Mysterious. Just like you on the outside" she explained. Sombra nodded in understanding.

"Now, what if you filled it with dark magic? What would happen then?" Luna asked, knowingly. "Then the inside would be exactly how you described the outside of the crystal, and there would also be a dark aura around it" Sombra said. "Exactly. But if I fill it with magic forged from things like hope, bravery, and selflessness, important character traits of yours…". Luna's horn began to glow as it touched the crystal. Instantly, a bright rainbow shone from the crystal. It was the most beautiful thing Sombra had ever seen.

"…those things are reflected all around you. Keep that in mind" Luna finished. Sombra was listening, but he continued staring at the bright crystal, mesmerised by the hope radiating off of it. Luna then floated the crystal closer to him. "Why don't you keep it? Just for tonight" she offered. Her friend nodded. She smiled and walked out the door.

"And yet the darkness is still there. Forgive me for all I have done, Luna" he whispered.

* * *

The next day, Luna called a meeting. Not even 24 hours had passed since the battle, but she knew Celestia was already way ahead in terms of strategy and defence.

"Is everyone here?" she asked once Gilda and Trixie arrived. "Yes Princess. Please begin" Gilda replied.

"Great. First off, we need to work on our strategies. Gilda, how did your air defence go?" Luna began. "It was fine. Maud only had to use her rock bombs once, and that was for the ground, so I think the air is relatively safe" Gilda reported. Luna nodded, acknowledging their efforts. "Trixie, how was the south?" she continued. "The south was a… challenging defence, I will grant you. A few troops made it past us, but Maud took them out easily" Trixie said.

"Alright. Rarity, your turn"

"North was fine. Lots of well-trained soldiers in that area, but we had a really good defence ourselves" said Rarity. Luna nodded. "Sombra, are you… feeling OK?". Everypony now looked at Sombra who was hoofing (punching) at the ground aimlessly. "Oh, I… I'm fine" he replied. It wasn't obvious, but the nightmare accompanied by the injury he sustained in battle was bothering him. Kali, being his sister, knew what was going on but also knew she would be in big trouble if she said anything. After all, they weren't blood related. Just royals adopted into the same family.

That's when Luna noticed her standing shyly beside her brother. "Hello, what's your name?" She asked. "Kali" the young umbrum replied, subconsciously turning her head and revealing a scar that went across her cheek. Luna looked at Sombra quizzically. "You allow fillies to go to war?" She questioned. "Oh, that wasn't from the battle!" Kali saved. Sombra sighed in relief, knowing he didn't have to answer for her. Luna raised an eyebrow. Kali frowned. "I tried to escape a few years ago. Lets just leave it at that"

Luna brought the meeting to order, respecting Kali's wishes.

"To begin with, we need an improvement on offence. For the air, we're going to try a new weather technique. Gilda, you've seen Rainbow Dash use storm clouds as an offence, right?" said Luna. "Yes, I have. I'm not sure if my group of griffons can imitate it, but the pegasi are warriors of the weather. Can you guys do that?" Gilda explained. "Yes, we can. I'll have a weather team up there during the next battle" one of the pegasi guards replied.

And so the conversation went on. They planned battle strategies and techniques. Defence mechanisms were also part of it. The tough part was when it came to the umbrums. "Well now that they know the umbrums are involved, the Crystal Empire is going to be starting an offence of their own, striking down all that they can. Surprise attacks aren't going to work. I'm open to ideas this time" Luna stated. "I… have an idea" Sombra replied.

"OK, let's hear it"

"They could disguise themselves as normal ponies. I've heard Equestrians have a special makeup that can change the brightness of their coats. Then they can turn to umbrums when they attack and change back again. It's going to be hard for the enemy to tell the difference" Sombra explained. "Then how do _we_ tell the difference?" Trixie questioned. "OK look kid, incase you didn't know yet I know what my ponies look like" Sombra countered.

"Brother, hundreds will die with this tactic!" Kali exclaimed, stepping up against her brother. "So what are you Li, like nine years old?" her brother countered. "I'm twelve, and my name is Kali!" she screamed back. "What are you going to do? Call upon the umbrum queen?" Sombra shouted, now using his evil monotone. "Oh if you dare, drag your mother into this, I will destroy you!" she threatened.

"She's technically your mother too!"

"Wait, what do you mean? You're not blood related?"

"She's (I'm) adopted from a warrior family that we (they) killed off! None of you have a say in this!" the two umbrums yelled in unison.

Suddenly, black smoke rose from the ground and a giant, bright red crystal spawned into the room.

"I came for my daughter and surviving troops" it said. The crystal was a female. It's voice was loud and majestic. In a flash of light the crystal transformed into an alicorn mare. She was taller than Luna, and had a noticeably more powerful magic presence. Her coat was a light grey, her mane was long and, like her daughter, was streaked with red. Kali stepped forward and bowed. "My queen! Forgive me, I'll get our troops. We were only-". "We'll discuss this later!" her mother cut her off. "_I _will get the troops. Come, child".

Kali walked toward her angry queen reluctantly. Just before turning herself into shadow, she glared at her brother with a face that clearly stated "it is on". With that, they vanished.

Luna cleared her throat to get the remaining ponies' attention. "I'm sorry for calling you to such an unprofessional meeting, especially while you're still recovering from that first battle. You may go" she said. With that, everyone turned away. Luna galloped back to her room. "Luna!" Sombra called after her. The alicorn's pace slowed to a walk and then a stop. "Luna, wait! What… what's wrong?".

"Sombra, tell me the truth. The honest truth. Did we really win that battle?" Luna asked. Sombra sighed. "Yes Luna, we won" he replied calmly. Luna continued walking down the corridor, Sombra tagging along. "So this is what victory feels like" she said sadly, "it's so… hollow". The umbrum said nothing. He just took in her words in and tried to process what was going on. _War has a worse aftershock than I thought it would,_ he thought. _Well, at least I have Luna by my side. We can survive this, I'm sure!_

Sombra let turned around to go to his room. _But we can survive this… right?_

* * *

**Amzoka's Corner**

**Hey you guys! For those who didn't read the beginning thing in bold letters, credit goes to _Industry_ for writing the song _State of the Nation_ which inspired me to do the scene with the locals discussing peace terms. Besides this, I didn't really have much to say. Cue the music for the end phrase! **

**Please review, give feedback, constructive criticism is tolerated (because Equestria is so full of love and toleration, right?), but no flames! Flames are bad! **


	8. Heal and Stand

**It's a short chapter. Sorry about that. Hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

All the way in Canterlot…

Twilight screamed and sat up. Losing her unicorn horn in the middle of a battle had an interesting effect on her mind. Luckily it was temporary. She continued to breathe heavily as Applejack and Rainbow Dash rushed to her side. "Twilight, it's alright. Stay down" Applejack reassured her friend. Twilight took a deep breath and lay back down. The aftershock of the battle slowly left her.

"What happened?"

Her fiends exchanged a worried look. "You… don't remember?" asked Applejack. Twilight tried to think. Thinking hurt a lot on it's own. "I... I remember a battlefield. There was weapon, it hooked my unicorn horn and smashed it against the knife attachment I added to my helmet. There was so much blood… That's all I know" she door opened and Celestia walked in. "I guess you missed a lot then" she said, "but you must come with me, Twilight. Your horn needs treatment".

Twilight nodded and walked with her former mentor.

As soon as the door closed, Rainbow Dash looked at her friend quizzically. "You weren't going to tell her, were you?" she asked. Applejack shook her head. "Maybe it was for the best. I don't think she should know what Princess Celestia did" she replied. Rainbow frowned, trying to figure out the best way to put this, but gave up. The pegasi know what happened to Luna, and they've spread the word. They know of the utter wrath and mercilessness she displayed for her sister… but Celestia won't know that.

* * *

Kali and her "mother" returned to the castle the next day to discuss a peace treaty. The umbrums and supporters of Luna were helping each other, but there was nothing protecting that trust. Luna agreed to sign it as long as Kali got to stay at the castle. The filly showed no emotion when the agreement was made. Over the next few days, the filly seemed happier. Luna understood her quite well. From the looks of it, Sombra was overshadowing Kali the same way Celestia overshadowed her. This was the main reason Luna wanted to take care of the filly.

On the other hoof, Luna also understood why Sombra hated Kali so much, and would still do anything to protect her. She was a living memory of everything he once was and everything he once had. Sombra's past was poisoned against his will, and he didn't want to see the same thing happen to his 'sister', regardless of her status as a battle trophy for his family.

Kali stood emotionless and obedient. She slept quietly in Luna's room and never complained about anything, much to Luna's surprise. She reminded Luna of genetically engineered clones she'd seen in scifi movies. Then again, whenever Kali turned right, when the left side of her face was exposed, she couldn't stop thinking about that scar. That white scar that went all the way across her cheek and clashed with her coat colour. What happened to the young filly?

About two days after the peace treaty was signed, Luna found Kali sitting on the steps of the castle. Her black and red mane blew gracefully in the wind. She appeared to be staring at a tree with bright blue flowers blossoming from it's branches. "Shouldn't you be in bed? The sun is only half way into the sky" Luna said. "Hi Princess Luna, and no thanks. I like early mornings. They're so… peaceful" Kali replied.

Luna sighed and sat next to her, lowering the moon as she did so. She was sitting on Kali's left side, where the scar was seen. "What happened?" Luna asked. Kali sighed. "No offence Princess, but why do you want to know? You don't have to care about me. It's not part of your job. I'm a 12-year-old umbrum warrior. Wow enough" she stated. "I want to know because I _care_ about you" Luna reasoned, "My older sister overshadowed me when I was your age. In alicorn years, of course".

The filly thought for a moment. "Alright, you deserve the honest truth. I tried to escape and Sombra fought me. I was hit in the face with a broken chain" she explained. Luna nodded. "Thanks Kali. Now get some rest. You'll need your strength for tomorrow's battle. Sombra's allowing you to take control of the bombs" Luna said. Kali's ears perked up. _Finally, somepony who knows how to have a little fun!_ she thought excitedly.

* * *

Luna disappeared for the next few hours. Sombra decided to go looking for her because apparently, none of the Royal Guard knew where she was or what she was doing. The one place he hadn't been to all day was the medical bay. Knowing Luna, the wellbeing of her subjects always came first. Sombra wasn't like that. Sure he cared about the wellbeing of his subjects as much as she did, but he definitely hated going to the med bay.

The moment he entered the room, Luna's glittery mane caught his eye. She was tending to the more serious injuries like broken horns and large wounds. Sombra waved a friendly hoof at her. She smiled in response. "What are you doing?" he asked, sitting next to her. "Trying to fix this pony's leg" she replied calmly.

Luna had been there for hours. Her not being at least _half insane_ was a surprise to Sombra. "What's your condition?" she asked, still focusing on the pony she was healing with magic. "Nothing that won't heal" Sombra replied. She looked at him. "You're not wearing the contact lenses?" she commented. "I'm not quite at that stage of reformation yet" he replied flatly, "How long have you been here?"

"Five hours"

This stunned Sombra. Five hours? She must have come here at around 5:00 in the morning to have been there this long. Luna yawned but kept healing the pony. "Luna, I'm sorry, but we have to come up with a battle strategy. The wounded will have to heal on their own. Besides, you need to focus on healing yourself before healing the others" Sombra said reluctantly. Luna's horn stopped glowing. She nodded in agreement. "Fine, I will go" she stated flatly.

"It is time for us to heal and stand. Tomorrow, Canterlot is ours"

* * *

**Amzoka's Corner**

**Yeah, this chapter was kinda… ****angsty, if that's the right word. I don't know. Next chapter is another battle! :)**

**Please review. Give feedback, constructive criticism is tolerated, no flames please! **


	9. Canterlot Siege

**Hey people, have fun reading! :)**

* * *

Luna showed up later than everypony else. Her troops were waiting outside the castle walls. There was something different about both Luna's armour and herself. She seemed a lot more cheerful today. "Did you… customise your helmet?" Sombra asked when she finally showed up. "I did," she replied cheerfully, "I added a knife to guard my unicorn horn. As for the armour…". She stomped a hoof on the ground. When she lifted it, a knife stuck out of the gauntlet.

"…I made some improvements"

Sombra saw her sword sheath and her two daggers. Exactly _why_ Luna brought them out was way beyond him. Kali showed as well. She was one of the very few ponies without much armour. All she had were twin blades and some very basic magic skills. Kali, like Sombra, had a bright red curved horn. Sombra ripped of the voice changer. "Well, won't be needing that thing in battle" he murmured in his real voice. _So that's why he sounded so weird these past few days, _Kali thought.

"Sombra, are the troops in position?" Luna asked. "Yes. We're just moving in the last storm cloud" he said. At that moment a pegasus flew down to them. "The troops are ready, Princess. You may begin" he said. Luna stepped forward.

"We march for Canterlot!"

* * *

It didn't take too long for them to get there. However, a large group of the Royal Guard were waiting for them. "Surrender, or be destroyed!" Shining Armour exclaimed. Sombra looked at Luna with a face stating "Can I just hit them with a giant crystal?". Luna nodded. The guards yelled as they were swept aside. "Celestia, you coward! Come out and fight for the crown!" She taunted. When there was no reply, Luna grabbed Shining Armour by the throat.

"Don't make me do this, sister!"

Celestia suddenly appeared with her army at Canterlot's gates. "Put him down!" she demanded. Luna dropped him. "Alright, let's settle this".

"Attack!"

The chaos that raged was overwhelming at first. Both sides put up a good fight. Luna charged from the ground, using magic instead of flight to her advantage. She stayed close to Sombra at first, who like Rarity, was using crystals to fight, except with an added shadow effect. Kali was there too, although she was focusing mainly on defence. Twilight Sparkle showed up soon enough. Her new unicorn horn was almost completely healed.

"You can't stop me" she told Sombra. The umbrum rolled his eyes. "So pathetic" he taunted. Using rage and power to his advantage, Sombra picked up his scythe and slashed at her. It pierced her armour, but wouldn't go all the way. The two fought, trying to settle the score. He was able to scratch her face, only for the flesh to grow back almost instantly. "What _are_ you?" he murmured. Twilight smirked. "I'm an alicorn!" she exclaimed. She was able to land a strong hoof on Sombra's face, which didn't do much besides knock the scythe from his magic aura.

Twilight was able to punch him a few more times. Luna saw his scythe lying on the ground. Twilight raised her sword. "Sombra!" Luna called, pulling out her daggers. His head spun around. "Catch!". He caught them just in time to block Twilight's blow. Soon, Celestia came after her sister. "Luna, we settle this now" she demanded.

Luna glanced at her wing. There were reasons why she shouldn't fly. _It doesn't matter__. Push your limits,_ she told herself. Summoning the strength she had to spare, Luna spread her wings and took off. Her flight was steady, but still wavering a bit. Tears formed in her eyes as she struggled to stay above ground. She dodged Celestia's attacks blast after blast efficiently. She was starting to lose control.

Realising she couldn't hold herself any longer, Luna let herself glide to the ground and galloped as fast as she possibly could. Celestia was relentless, without pity or mercy. In truth, she cared about Luna. She loved her like no one else. But with all this fear and betrayal, trusting her was no longer an option. Her anger burned like the sun inside of her, and even then there was still some love she had left to spare.

Celestia's eyes teared up. "I am sorry, dear sister" she whispered.

Luna felt the heat of a laser beam. It blasted her in the back. In agony, Luna screamed and fell. She tried to pull herself away from Celestia once again. Then her eyes lit up. "I will not lose like this again" she choked, "never again!". In a last ditch effort to defeat her sister, Luna leaped into the air, spreading her wings. She caught Celestia completely off guard, tackling her. The two fell, struggling for the higher position. Both managed to take flight just seconds before they would have hit the hard ground.

Before they could continue the battle, the sky shook violently. Angry pink clouds darted across it. A familiar draconequus appeared in front of them. "Oh, the Royal Sisters. Always so _professional_ in battles like this!" he exclaimed. Luna casually sheathed her sword, as all three of them glided to the ground. "Where have you _been_ Discord? I was beginning to think you weren't coming!" she taunted. The draconequus just laughed. Celestia's expression darkened.

"Alight. Game on!" she exclaimed.

The three of them engaged in a three-way brawl. Luna gave up on the idea of flying, and decided to strike from the ground with a deflector shield on. Discord wasn't having any trouble keeping up, using his chaotic nature to his advantage… like he always did. There was one moment. A fraction of a second when the two sisters had a feeling, but just let it go. _Forget it. We are __enemies now, _they thought.

As the battle raged on, keeping a good defence got harder and harder. Luna looked at her sister, desperately calling for an alliance. Celestia saw the pain in Luna's eyes and nodded. She smiled back. "Just like old times?" Luna commented. "Just like old times" Celestia confirmed. At that moment, Celestia flew around Discord at top speed, creating a tornado. Luna summoned in a storm cloud and placed in within the tornado. Discord was able to escape with little effort.

The draconequus turned the ground to soap. "Try again" he taunted. Luna mindlessly shot lasers at him, which he dodged easily. Discord laughed at them, luring them into traps so easily that it looked ridiculous.

Celestia furiously tried to keep him in one place, but couldn't do it. Hours passed, and she was eventually able to drive him close enough to the ground for Luna to land a hit. She activated the hidden blades inside her gauntlets and raised her hooves. Discord dodged one blade, but Luna was able to fly upward slightly, stabbing his tail. There was silence. Discord flew fast, furiously trying to hide the blood. Nopony was able to catch him, but they saw the distinct red colour trailing behind him. He lost the war.

Celestia glanced at her sister. "Luna... I propose a deal" she said. Luna looked at her the same way. "Tell me" she replied. "Leave Canterlot in peace, and I'll call off the attacks for a week. Deal?" Celestia proposed. Luna's breathing was heavy. "Alright... We'll leave" she confirmed.

* * *

**Amzoka's Corner**

**Hey guys! Now before anyone freaks out about Discord losing the war, please know that he kept up a good fight for at least two hours and it was only Luna's shear luck that she was able to cut him. Just so you guys know, Discord WILL return. **

***SPOILER ALERT***

**To answer the guest reviewer "Snowfrost"'s question about Queen Crysalis, yes, she will be part of the story soon. You kind of guessed what I was going to do. :)**

**As always, review! Give feedback, constructive criticism is tolerated, no flames please! **


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